Progress for the Poor

One of the principal goals of antipoverty efforts should be to improve the absolute living standards of the least well-off.Progress for the Pooraims to enhance our understanding of how to do that, drawing on the experiences of twenty affluent countries since the 1970s. The book addresses a set of questions at the heart of political economy and public policy: How much does economic growth help the poor? When and why does growth fail to trickle down? How can social policy help? Can a country have a sizeable low-wage sector yet few poor households? Are universal programs better than targeted ones? What role can public services play in antipoverty efforts? What is the best tax mix? Is more social spending better for the poor? If we commit to improvement in the absolute living standards of the least well-off, must we sacrifice other desirable outcomes?

Lane Kenworthy is Professor of Sociology and Political Science at the University of Arizona. He studies the causes and consequences of poverty, inequality, mobility, employment, economic growth, social policy, taxes, and public opinion in affluent countries.He is the author of Jobs with Equality (OUP 2008), Egalitarian Capitalism, In Search of National Economic Success, and articles in various social science journals. He also writes on these topics at his blog, Consider the Evidence.